


Pain Still Lingers

by Aspen625



Category: Degrassi: Next Class
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2019-11-05
Packaged: 2021-01-23 21:35:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,309
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21327040
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aspen625/pseuds/Aspen625
Summary: The students of Degrassi come together to heal from the events of the crash.
Relationships: Deon "Tiny" Bell/Shay Powers, Jonah Haak/Frankie Hollingsworth, Miles Hollingsworth III/Maya Matlin
Comments: 2
Kudos: 2





	1. The Memories Stick

Chapter one : The Memories Stick

Frankie stood huddled in a circle with her teammates muttering. The shrill pain heard in the voice's around her made her heart practically skip a beat. The image of the bus flipped made the chaos around her blurry. She remembered vaguely kissing Jonah before he got on the bus. Every ounce of her ached of the thought of Jonah laying in the bus lifeless. Frankie felt hands grip her shoulders.

“Franks where’s Hunter?” Miles's voice made Frankie fall into his arms.

With Frankie’s voice muffled Miles made out enough to know where his brother was. “I’ll get Hunter go find my car it’s parked in the parking lot.” Frankie gave him a quick nod before sprinting for the doors.

Miles saw Hunter on the bleachers holding Yael. His head filled with relief both of his siblings were alive and safe.

-

“He’s awake” a faint voice said. The bright lights made his head pound harder. The pain running through his left leg made him groan in pain.

“Sir can you tell me your name?” The voice said. 

“Tiny Tiny bell” He muttered through the excruciating pain. “ Where am I? I remember screams……"

“Your bus was involved in a terrible accident” the voice said. Tiny now noticed the world around him was moving. There were nurses everywhere before closing his eyes again he realized that he was at a hospital.

-

“Let's go” Miles said to his siblings. He forced a smile on his face Frankie threw a knowing look at her brother as she approached the passenger seat.

The car ride was quiet. Frankie gazed out the window at the cars racing down the highway. She turned her attention to Miles. He sat in the drivers sit hands gripping the steering wheel perhaps a little tighter then he should of. She saw the pain in Miles's face as he stared at the road. Frankie's eye’s then focused on Hunter as he stared out the window. As she looked at him she began to wonder where their relationship went south? Frankie knew growing apart from her siblings was normal. But she felt like she was closer to Miles then her own twin brother. She let Hunter drift away as soon as she became friends with Zoe. She let popularity turn her into a person she was ashamed of.

-

“His pulse is dropping” a voice said. “ Stay with me the figure said waving their hand in front of his face. "We're losing him” the voice fainted as he struggled to stay awake.

-

Miles pulled into the first parking spot he found the hospital was packed with cars. The only thing on his mind was Tristan. He shook the thought from his head and forced a smile on his face for his brother and sister.

“You ready Franks?” He asked wrapping his arms around his sister.

“Ready as I will ever be." It seemed a little forced but that was the least of his worries at the time.

'Are you here yet?, the hospital is crazy'

A text from Shay was surprising due to the recent events. Shay has always been a forgiving person but what Frankie did was much harder to forgive.

'Yeah' she replied as they walked into the hospital doors. She noticed the sheer panic on the faces on the families scattered around the hospital.

“Lets go” Miles ordered over the chaos around them, “I heard that all the mirror injuries from the crash are in wing E."

Frankie and Hunter nodded as they followed Miles. As the walked through the crowds of people Frankie couldn’t help but think back to when Hunter was here after the snowball. She wasn’t there for him instead she was caught up in so dumb shit. She knew she could be self-absorbed at times, but she never thought it would cause her to lose Hunter.

-

Zoe frowned as she followed Winston through the hospital. As much as he considered himself as the loser or the nobody. She knew Winston was the only light in her life he was one of those guys who cared about you when nobody else would. Zoe never wanted to be gay. But she was. He made her happy ,but she wasn’t in love with him.

Her thoughts suddenly reached an end as she ran into someone. “Shit I’m sorry…” she was at a loss of words. She immediately saw who it was. Frankie stood there with an unreadable expression on her face. Zoe knew that Frankie hated every inch of her.

“You…” Zoe stuttered. Frankie stopped her dead in her tracks.

“We don’t have time to fight Zoe we're both here for the same reasons."

Zoe felt smaller than she has ever felt "I hope Jonah is okay" she couldn’t even look Frankie in the eyes.

“Are you okay your crying” Frankie asked as she pulled Zoe into a hug. “Everything will be okay, I know it will."

“I know" she let herself fall into Frankies arms. Like old times.

Hugging Zoe felt like a punch in the stomach. After she showed her true intentions back with Degrassi Nudes. But Zoe being this vulnerable made Frankie show remorse towards her. Before Frankie had enough time to process it fully Zoe pulled away rather harsh.

“Zoe If you need someone to talk to, you can always talk to me”, but the call of her name caught her ears.

“Frankie” a deep voice called out.

“Jonah?” She cried out as she ran towards him, throwing her arms around him meeting his lips without a care in the world. Frankie couldn’t believe how relieved she was that Jonah was okay.

Maya was happy to finally see people she knew. She knew that Jonah made it out with little to no injuries. She was hardly worse off given the severity of the crash. With two broken wrist and a couple of cuts. The crash renewed the memory of Cam’s death. Bringing a load of thoughts to come up in Maya's head. The thought was quickly replaced with fear for the students in the crash. She shook off those thoughts as Miles approached her. She tried her best to put on a strong face for him. She pushed him away after they broke up.

Miles felt his smile falter as he approached Maya. The presence of his siblings was out of reach, so his smile was no longer a burden. Maya was the first person he completely opened up to which made it easier to be himself.

“Hey” he greeted as he took a seat next to her. "Long time no see” he really had no idea why he was drawn to her. But he was.

“Yeah it’s been awhile it’s a shame that it took a tragedy to make us speak again”.

He felt Maya’s fingers intertwined with his as he spoke. “I'm so lost."

-

Zoe watched Jonah and Frankie with jealousy. Part of her wanted that to be her and Winston. She knew that her life would never be like that. A tear fell out of her eye it blended in well with all the others around her.

“Zoe it's going to be okay” a voice said. Her eyes found Frankie standing next to her. She wondered how she managed to leave Jonah. How long was she lost in her thoughts?

“I know" she lied, feeling a sharp pain running through her body. She was so desperate for someone to love her. Even If that meant hurting someone else she would do it, hating herself for it.

Zoe had been acting very strange. Frankie noticed as she relished in Jonah’s embrace. Zoe had been shifty throughout their conversation. Due to the circumstances Frankie knew that being upset was normal. But there was something off that she couldn’t shake. She finally remembered a post from Zoe that stuck out she couldn’t quite put her finger on it. Then it clicked a burn mark on her wrist.

Zoe walked to the bathroom without running. She skipped the first stall and the second one too. They were to close and she didn’t want to risk somebody finding her. She needed complete privacy. She found a staircase and went up two levels until she found a floor that seemed empty and entered a bathroom nearby. She stopped her breathing for a moment to listen for the presence of anyone else. She was alone, she was always alone for once she was happy about it. Entering the fourth stall she took a seat on the toilet. Her hands ran up her arms over the scars that lay there. The blade was cold on her skin. She sat there for awhile until she ultimately decided not to go through with it. Her hands shook uncontrollably as the blade sild through her finger tips.

-

Maya and Miles sat in silence. Miles saw little to no life in Maya’s eyes.

“I bet you're dying to know if Grace and Zig are okay” Miles voice sounded lost.

“Yeah I am" she hesitated and took a deep breath. "Would it be weird if I told you something?"

"No not at all" he replied.

"Ever since I got out of the ICU I can't stop thinking about Cam. For months I thought I moved on from his death. But the truth is I’ve neglected the pain it truly caused."

Miles tightened his grip on her hand as he remembered the sad memory. “I remember everything you have ever told me." He had been in the early stages of love with Maya and it crushed him to see her cry at the still fresh memories. "I want you to know that even if it seems like the pain will never go away it will." 

Miles saw the color drain from her eyes. He wanted the mood to shift. “How are you and Zig?”.

“Not good”, Maya sighed. “Were not dating, not even friends anymore....were just never going to work”.

“Ah, sorry” Miles nodded as Maya rested her head on his shoulder.


	2. All Over Again

Chapter Two: All Over Again

Screams overcome him as the bus lay flipped. A burst of pain ran through the lower half of his body. He tried to move but he was pinned under a seat he was suddenly hit with another wave of pain that felt like pins and needles stabbing his whole body.

“Sixteen year old male, lacerations on over eighty percent of his body" a deep voice yells....."Coma” the voice said quietly grabbing his file.”Zig Novak…..No family to contact. There’s really nothing we can do." 

-

It was the sixth bathroom Frankies checked. Sobs were heard as she peeked her head through the door. Her heart clenched in her chest. Frankie walked slowly, hearing each one of her steps, tear through the room. “Zoe?” she asked.

“Go away" Zoe said echoing the walls

“You know I can’t do that" she found the stall Zoe was in and placed her hands against the cold metal, it was locked. "We used to be friends, I want to help you."

“I’m fine”, Zoe said. Frankie could tell from the cracks in her voice that she was anything from okay.

“I know there's tons of people that care about you, Winston does" frankie insisted

“I have nobody, he just pities me” Zoe sobbed.

“That’s not true he cares about you Zo.”

“He just wants to make sure that I’m not hurting myself" Zoe said in between cries.

“He wouldn't be dating you if he didn’t care about you."

“We broke up.”

That hit Frankie in shock. Winston and her were going strong the whole year. What happened she wondered. That was a secondary concern, she still had to address the original reason why she chased after Zoe.

“So Winston wants you to stop hurting yourself? You admit it then, I saw the burn on your wrist I’m worried Zoe."

Zoe’s cries slowed “It’s not that bad, I promise."

“Hurting yourself is never good."

“Frankie nobody gives a shit about me. So why don’t you go run back to your boyfriend” Zoe stammered.

“I do Zoe please talk to me” Frankie pleaded.

“You hate me” Zoe cried out. It took all of Frankie’s willpower to not amass her strength and push her way through the stall door. That wouldn’t be of value with the way Zoe was feeling.

“I don’t hate you nor will I ever. Yes you have done bad things. We’ve all done bad things. Look at me I lost all my friends and everyone hated me, but I talked to people who care about me and we worked things out. It taught me a valuable lesson and I strive to be a better person. Don’t you want to be a better Zoe?”

“I can’t everybody I meet I hurt. They leave broken or torn apart never looking back."

“I know there's a Zoe in there that every person loves. But…. you pushed her away, she wants to get out so badly but you won’t let her."

“I…..” Zoe said, she didn’t say anything else. Zoe’s voice changed to a harsh tone. “Did Winston tell you?”

“What do you mean?” Frankie asked confused.

“Don’t act like you don’t know!” Zoe hissed. “I’m gay” she whispered.

Frankie blinked in shock. It was surprising, it then occurred to her that might be the reason why Zoe was hurting herself. She remembered how close Zoe and her got her Freshman year. Maybe a little too close Zoe always talked about being fluid, but it always seemed like a joke. As thoughts swarmed through her head, she saw a bright shining object on the floor next to Zoe’s shoes. She snatched it without thinking she felt the blade cut her skin slightly.

There was a long silence Frankie held her tongue as she let Zoe process her thoughts. After a moment she heard the sound of the latch and the door opened. Zoe fell into her arms, and Frankie pulled her into a wordless embrace. It was a first step ...at least.

-

Lola crashed into Frankie like a wrecking ball she was used to it. It felt good to have her back in her life. Shay soon joined the embrace with a smile on her face.

“I’m glad to see you two here. How’s Tiny any news?”

“No” Shay said with a disheartened spirit. Frankie saw Miles having an intimate moment with Maya. He wasn’t the same after Tristan broke his heart into a million pieces.

Tiny inhaled a deep breath as the nurse pushed him out into the waiting room. His eyes scanned the room, he looked for anyone he recognized. The first thing to catch his eyes was the neon pink hair from Lola next to her sat Shay.

“Shay” he said the words felt like they echoed the walls. His heart soared he knew that every ounce of love poured out of his mouth.

“Tiny” she returned. Her eyes met his as he fell into his arms. “I’m so happy that you're okay."

He closed his eyes as he held her to block out the world around him. The love melted into their embrace. Shay pulled away and let herself melt in their kiss in the moment it felt like the world around her stopped.

-

“I should probably go” Miles said.

“No wait” Maya said, hands gripping his hands “stay.”

They shared a look that showed their love for each other. Which made Maya’s heart flutter.

-

Shay cleared some chairs out of the way as a nurse wheeled him over to a corner where he saw her purse sitting.

“Listen Shay there’s something I have to tell you” Tiny sighed.

“Is everything okay” Shay asked eyeing his chair.  
“I can’t feel my legs....There’s an eighty percent chance that I might never walk again."

Shay was speechless the blood in her body practically stopped. She quickly grabbed his hands as she looked into his eyes.

-

Frankie was caught by surprise when Jonah wrapped his arms around her.

“My mother and step-father are going to pick me up soon. They're making me come home my cars there. Wanna come?”

“Yeah” Frankie agreed.”I’ll just tell Miles." He had already given her a nod. “Oh, Franks can you grab clothes for Hunter and me?”Miles quickly added

“Sure whatever” She said rolling her eyes.

Only now did it hit her that she was going to meet her boyfriend’s parents for the first time, Jonah’s mother and step-father pulled up as they exited the front entrance of the hospital. Frankie forced a smile on her face as she looked up in Jonah’s eyes. Her heart was thumping out of her chest as they neared the car, but she refused to let it show.

She nodded in gratitude as Jonah opened the door for her. “Here goes nothing” she muttered to herself.

“Hey” Frankie greeted as she climbed into the car while her eyes followed Jonah who was walking around the back of the car and to the other side door.

“Oh hello dear” Jonah’s mother greeted. “This must be the girl our son has been talking about” His step-father cheered. She looked over to Jonah who has just climbed into the car and was closing the door behind him. He was blushing she was just now realized his step-father's words. Jonah had been talking about her. A lot.

“I’m so glad to know that you're doing well. Your father and I were in a panic as soon as we heard about the crash. Jonah if anything happened to you we wouldn’t know what to do."

“Frankie this is my mother Emily and my step-father Steven” Jonah said smiling at both of them. “Well It’s very nice to meet you both” Frankie replied

-

It was all a blur, but in time she realized that she was already lost in the hospital. Her eye caught a nurse. Zig her mind immediately thought.

“ Excuse me ma'am, do you know anything about ZIg Novak?” Tapping the nurse on the shoulder.

“May I ask how you know him”

I’m his girlfriend." It was an old reflex of Maya’s

“Well the crash caused a trauma to his brain. It put him in a coma." Maya was in complete shock.


	3. The Truth

Chapter Three: The Truth

“I’ll be back first thing in the morning” Maya said with traces of longing in her voice. She tried to hide it but Miles saw right through her torn smile.

Miles nodded and let one of those slow, cautions smiles of his cross his lips. He was so cute when he let a smile slip out.

She couldn’t help but wonder if they could ever be like that again. But quickly replaced that thought with Zig’s condition. Every part of her needed him, but she knew that they would never work. He has hurt her more than anybody else has in her life. Zig took Cam away from her. Cam was her everything and he was gone in a blink of an eye. She forced the thought out of her head as she left the reception area.

Miles watched Maya leave the hospital. He knew the feelings between the two of them still lingered. His heart wanted her, but his mind knew that Maya needed Zig not him. Tristan was the one good thing in his life and he let him slip away slowly but surely.

-

“Shay I’m on painkillers” Tiny said with resentment in his voice. “When they wear off I will know if I will ever be able to walk again."

“Tiny” Shay said as she grasped his face. “Whatever happens, I'll be there for you. Okay?”

Tiny slowly nodded not knowing if she would keep her promise. He just had to trust her.

-

“Franks we're at my house” Jonah said as he nudged her shoulder to awaken her from her daze.

Frankie stroked her hands over the hood of Jonah’s car as she walked around to the passenger door. Meeting his parents had been nice, but it was too short of a ride to get to know them. She smiled at Jonah as she opened her door and took her seat, she placed her head on his shoulder.

Frankie leaned closer to him. “Jonah if anything happened to you……”

Jonah smirked and leaned down towards her lips in a kiss. He let himself melt into it. Jonah slid his hand down to her thigh. Frankie moaned as the kiss deepened.

“We should head over to your house” Jonah said pulling away. 

Frankie placed her hand on his arm as the drove “my parents won’t be home” she whispered into his ear.

-

She led the way through the courtyard to the steps that led them into her house. Frankie led him up the stairs to her bedroom.

“Wait here I’m going to grab my brother’s things."Frankie went into Hunter’s room first, and stuttered as she walked in. The smell made her nose crinkle. She resigned herself to her fate as she headed to his closet. A black hoodie and a pair of pants were laying on his closet floor. She quickly grabbed them and moved to Miles's room. Appreciating that her older brother was much cleaner. She repeated the process and returned to her room.

“I’m back” she cheered as she entered her room and tossed a bag on her floor. Jonah sat on her bed smiling at her.

“I'm just going to throw on some sweats and freshen up” Frankie said. She turned toward the dresser that she kept her shirts and shorts in. Slipping her shirt off just made her imagine Jonah’s eyes bearing into her shoulder blades. As she pulled a pinkish shirt with flowers on it over her shoulders.

Jonah’s nerves danced as he pictured her bare skin brush against his. But he knew that that couldn’t happen if so not anytime soon.

She gulped and took the plunge by dropping her shorts and let them slip down her ankles before kicking them to the side. Putting on a pair of denim suspenders. She turned around to Jonah who’s hands grip the end frame of her bed.

“You have pretty lips” he said.

Frankie blushed as she approached the bed. She crawled on top of him. Her hands stroked over his chest and up his neck before brushing her fingers over his lips placing a kiss on them.

“You have a beautiful smile” Jonah purred as the pulled apart.

She met his palms and pinned them against the sheets as she pressed her lips against his again, she moved her body just enough to straddle his waist. Jonah’s hands traveled up her sides as he pulled her into his arms.

“Frankie” he said. “It’s time that we talk” he let a pause come between them. "about my past.”

-

“Hey” Miles said as he greeted Maya at the entrance of the hospital.

“Hey” Maya forced out cheerfully

Miles raised an eyebrow. Her tone seemed distorted. He knew how it felt to lose yourself for someone. He got caught off guard when she grabbed his hands.

“What to find somewhere more private” Maya asked with a sense of closure.

He accepted her offer. He led them downstairs in a huge maze until he found an empty and scarce hallway. They both sat up against the way. It was Maya who talked first

“I don’t feel like I should let Zig go.”

“I know how it feels to second guess yourself” Miles sighed. “It’s not a great feeling” he placed his hand next to hers. Grabbing his hand, she felt all her fear leave her body.

“Maya I never got over you entirely nor will I ever." She saw passion in his eyes

As she heard the words leave his tongue she pulled him into a kiss.

-

Jonah was quiet for a while, he took a moment to inhale. “My past has haunted me for years. I put up a wall trying to run away from my mistakes."

They stared into each other's eyes. He was surprised not to find anger or betrayal in hers but understanding.

“I was hurt more by the crash than I led on. Both the one today and when my father past away. I’ll admit it. When my father died it left a void in my whole family. I was fucked up for years. I turned to some painkillers that my mom had laying around."

Frankie put her hand on his shoulder. “Don’t be ashamed it happens."

“My brother Harry was a dealer. I eventually got dragged in with him. I was a fifteen-year-old drug dealer."

“What made you leave?” She asked wrapping her arms around him.

“I tried to deny it. But getting someone pregnant is something that can’t disappear. What hurts worse is that she lost the baby” He felt the words tug on him.

“Jonah, you will always have me. Nothing will ever change that because I love you."

Jonah took a deep breath, his lips turned into a smile. “I love you too” his thoughts were broken as Frankie rolled into his chest. He closed his eyes and enjoyed her hold on him. The feeling of her skin on his, the warmth of her embrace.

-

As they pulled away Miles grabbed her hands and locked eyes with her.

“I’m here for you” He whispered. “I’ll be here through everything."

Maya blinked “I…..never want you to go" she brought a hand forward to stroke his face.

Finding him had been great, she wanted nothing more than to be with him. But that made her fears worse Zig was in a coma. Tristan and Grace might have not survived. Probably not. Fate has never been nice to her. It had been already taken one person away from her, and that very thought of that happening again was always her greatest fear.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this fic a long time ago just wanted to share with you guys.


End file.
